New Street ramen restaurant closes after kitchen fire

A Japanese restaurant that opened on New Street less than two months ago has closed until further notice after a fire on Sunday morning.

Maki and Ramen, at King Edward House, opened its doors on 21 August. Nobody was hurt in the fire, which the restaurant says was mainly contained to the kitchen.

"Nobody was hurt or harmed, thank goodness"

Rebecca Cuthbertson, the chain's marketing director, told Birmingham Live: "On Sunday morning we had an electrical fire in our kitchen of our newly opened Birmingham New Street branch."

"Nobody was hurt or harmed thank goodness but we'll be taking some time to repair the damage caused that was mainly contained to the kitchen."

The restaurant first said on social media that it would close for two days, but has since said recovery will take longer. An area manager said the fire broke out in the storage area, and that the site would be "closed until further notice".

Food sent to other branches

The chain said it had made sure as little food as possible was wasted. Any undamaged and suitable stock was taken to its other branches, and the rest was destroyed because of fire damage.

"I am thankful for our team for helping out and we hope to see everyone soon at the reopening," Ms Cuthbertson said.

Customers with bookings will be contacted to rearrange, and people have been asked to keep an eye on the restaurant's social media for news of when it will reopen.

A busy street for food

Maki and Ramen is a UK chain serving ramen, sushi and other Japanese dishes, and the New Street branch was one of its newest. It arrived at a time when Japanese and other Asian restaurants have been among the most popular new openings in Birmingham.

New Street is one of the busiest shopping and dining streets in the city, running from Victoria Square down towards the Bullring and the station, and footfall there is heavy through the day and into the evening.

What happens after a kitchen fire

After a fire, a restaurant usually has to repair any damage, replace equipment and have its electrics checked before it can reopen. It may also need a fresh inspection to make sure the kitchen meets fire and food safety rules. The time this takes depends on the extent of the damage and how quickly specialist contractors and insurers can visit.

Kitchen fires are among the most common in commercial premises. Fire services advise restaurants to have their electrical systems inspected regularly, to keep extraction ducts free of grease and to make sure staff know how to use fire blankets and extinguishers.